There were even reports here that she would only have withdrawn it because Beijing told her to, that she wouldn't have made the decision herself.
During a phone call with Xi on June 18, Trump raised Biden's political prospects as well as those of Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who by then had started rising in the polls, according to two people familiar with the discussion. In that call, Trump also told Xi he would remain quiet on Hong Kong protests as trade talks progressed....
After this story published, Warren reacted to news of Trump's call with Xi, writing on Twitter, "Trump can say what he wants about me, but it's outrageous that any president would sell out the people of Hong Kong behind closed doors. The public must see the transcript of Trump's call with Xi. And we need a leader who will stand up for our values."...
One Trump ally outside the White House described receiving a message from Chinese government officials asking if Trump was serious when he suggested China open an investigation into Biden. The response: investigating corruption is an easy way to earn goodwill with Trump....
While Trump eventually did tweet out a call for Xi to find a "humane" resolution to the Hong Kong unrest, he did not issue a forceful call to uphold human rights in the former British colony. And as protests again erupted this week as massive celebrations were underway in Beijing for the 70th anniversary of the People's Republic of China, Trump offered Xi his congratulations.
"Congratulations to President Xi and the Chinese people on the 70th Anniversary of the People's Republic of China!" Trump wrote, adopted a drastically different tone than his Republican allies, who used words like "ghoulish," "authoritarian" and "horrors" to mark the occasion.
Keep in mind I don't really understand exactly what's going on.
I watched the shooting and from here, the policeman was struggling with one protester and shot another who was coming toward them and only a few feet away. I can't say that wasn't understandable. I'm glad the protester is now in stable condition.
I can understand easily why the protests are continuing, because if I lived there I might be one of those protestors had I lived in free Hong Kong and now China was closing in. Xi has declared himself ruler for life. They are using incredibly advanced surveillance to control the population from publicly shaming people who owe unpaid debts to incarcerating Uighers and putting them in re-education camps. That's not bordering on a dystopia, that is a dystopia.
But what is all the destruction going to accomplish except to trigger mainland China to send a swarm of soldiers in to quell the protestors? Do they have a goal they think they can achieve? Is there general support or are they causing some citizens to side against them?
I do so hope it ends well and I am on the side of the citizens of Hong Kong if that isn't clear.
If protesting Chinese rule is punished with death and cultural erasure, if there is no magnaminity, no mercy, only harsh punishment and genocide awaiting protesters, then there’s no reason to ever stop fighting, goes the argument.
Certainly a legit reason to continue fighting.
But everyone's tired: the police, the protesters, the government, HK citizens.
We just want the government to do the right thing.
District council elections today. And the turnout percentage show the level of dissatisfaction HKers have with the government. I voted.
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2019/11/...polling-stations-turnout-already-record-high/
And wow - these queues are orderly. Thinking about you and your fellow voters.